Monday, August 25, 2008

This has got to be one of the funniest ideas for an exhibition I've seen. On Tuesday, September 2nd, be prepared to stock up on industrial strength lint rollers if you plan to attend the Tam Ochiai opening at Team Gallery. Felines will abound, taking root upon his sculptures, leaving their own "mark-making" adaptations to however they choose to use the collectible cat castles as scratching posts.

This could be groundbreaking, or 100% disastrous. I can see now gallery workers running into the middle of Grand Street to capture the vagabond kittehs running for the door. Either way, a show of note. Can't wait.

Anyway, here's the deal. I saw an artist's work this spring-- I believe I visited his website. It is a male artist. I believe he lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. His entire new series of works were paintings (or were they charcoal drawings) of the farmhouse from the Wizard of Oz in midair, taken up by the tornado.

What's interesting about this fella's work is the dramatic angles from underneath, above, and from the side as well as his execution-- smoky greys, and soft edges.

If ANYBODY might have any inkling of who this artist is, please do tell. I didn't write down his name, nor was my browsing history saved, and this has just been driving me even crazier than I already am.

Thanks for any and all help you can provide.

Email any hints and clues, or leave a comment to: lamgelinaoly@yahoo.com(Please, no Nelson HA-HA's... I'm kinda torn up about losing this guy's info.)

Monday, August 18, 2008

Away from the direct art criticism side today. This is just a quick thought that has really angered me. I was just on a website for an art school summer program which extensively talked about how "artists need each other." I certainly agree, but to an EXTENT. I don't think this is an emphasis that needs to be stressed any further than it already is in the education community.

Part of my number one problem with art today is this insular notion of the artistic community. Seriously, I want any regular readers who are artists here to think about this. Most of your friends, acquaintances, and colleagues are all fellow artists or somehow in the art community. The number one problem today with art is its reaching out to the non-artistic community; the voice of the common man, of the "people." Ask a stockbroker, a nurse, a elementary school teacher, a cop, a filmmaker, or a dancer what they think of your work. They are far more likely to be the eventual collector of your works than you think. They are also far more likely to write their congressman about an exhibition they do not understand, or have had an involvement in. I believe subconsciously, art continues to look down upon the "everyday" average Joe.

In the past few years I've gotten to see firsthand who collectors are (Insurance executives, doctors, lawyers, marketing people, interior designers, and yes, on occasion, fellow artists.) Getting opinions all the time from those within the "inner art circle" will not necessarily give you sales success. Perhaps I concentrate too much on the business side of things, but it's a very important thing to think over. Critical praise will not pay the bills.

I'd really like to see a school talk about "artists need to reach out to the outside world," not just "each other."